Thermomolecular rectifier

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the generation of power based on the difference of partial pressures of a fluid or gas in a static field containing two different fluids or gases such that the two substances are affected to a different degree by such a field. Membrane barriers are set up so as to contain the substance most strongly affected by the field letting the other diffuse in the direction of reduced pressure with the subsequent flow being used in the generation of power.

O Unlted States Patent [1 1 [1 1 3,927,532

dc Figueiredo Dec. 23, 1975 THERMOMOLECULAR RECTIFIER 3,102,532 |1/|972Low et a! 60/516 [75] Inventor: Antonio M. C. de Fgueiredo,

Hartford, Conn. Primary Examiner-Allen M. Ostrager [73] T Assigneez TheRaymond Lee organizafinn, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard I. PodellInc., New York, NY. a part interest 1;, [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Nov.26, 1974 Apparatus for the generation of power based on the [2!] Appl527311 difference of partial pressures of a fluid or gas in a staticfield containing two different fluids or gases [52] US. Cl. 60/721 suchthat the two substances are affected to a different [51] Int. Cl. F0367/00 degree by such a field. Membrane barriers are set up [58] Field ofSearch 60/516, 549, 531, 721, so as to ontain he substance most stronglyaffected 60/650, 682, 651, 671 by the field letting the other diffuse inthe direction of reduced pressure with the subsequent flow being used[56] References Cited in the generation of power.

UNfl ED STATES PATENTS 3,587,227 6/1971 Weingarten 60/67l X 4 C 3Drawing Figures 12 P04 H2 gas I8C I0 i I85 1/ 4 P(H2)B -O\,I9

2/ Mixture l 22 H d H A 23 2 0|! 9 90588 24 TI-IERMOMOLECULAR RECTIFIERSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for thegeneration of power based on the difference of partial pressures of afluid or gas in a field containing two different substances such thatone of them is more strongly af fected by that field.

The apparatus involves a closed system of a mixture of two fluids ofdifferent masses which are located in a chamber subjected to agravitational or centrifugal field. Opposing walls of the chamber areeach formed of a permeable membrane which is impervious to the heavierfluid of the mixture, and which permits difiusion of the molecules ofthe other fluid of the mixture. The membranes are located as theopposing walls of the chamber which are subjected to the gravitationalor centrifugal field to which the chamber is subjected. The externalwalls of the chambers are joined together by piping which leads to apower generator operated by the flow of fluid through the piping, withsaid piping also passing through a reservoir chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of theinvention may be understood with reference of the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a pressure diagram of the fluids in the diffusion chamberunder the same force field; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the partial pressures of hydrogen in the twodifferent chamber of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to thedrawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elementsthrough the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of theapparatus in which the mixture of two gases are stored in diffusionchamber 11, with said gases being of different molecular weights. Forpurposes of illustration, two gases such as hydrogen and mercury havebeen selected, although any other two gases of different masses might beselected where the lighter of the two gases is permeable through amembrane 21 and 22 and the other gas is impermeable through saidmembrane.

The opposing walls of the difi'usion chamber 11 are bounded by membranes21 and 22 both of which are selected so as to be permeable to hydrogengas and to be impermeable to mercury vapor. The external charn ber 23bounded by membrane 21 at position X is joined by tubing 18A which leadsfrom the output of a gas powered generator 13. Inlet tubing 18B ofturbine generator 13 leads from reservoir 12, with the exhaust tubing18C of generator 14 led into reservoir 12. Chamber 24 which forms theexternal boundary of membrane 22 at the other opposing wall X, of thedifl usion chamber 11 is joined to inlet tubing 18D of turbine 14. Gasturbines l3 and 14 may drive electrical generators which tenninate inpower take-offs 19.

In operation. a gravitational or centrifugal force field is establishedacross diffusion chamber 11, with the direction of said field beingperpendicular to the plane of the opposing parallel wall membranes 2!and 22 of chamber II. The gravitational or centrifugal field in chamber11 results in a variation of partial pressures of the two gases of themixture throughout chamber 11 as shown in FIG. 2. A force field asdescribed above is set up so that both chambers, 11 and 12, are subjectto the field. Both the mercury gas and the hydrogen gas in chamber 11will be affected by the field, the heavier gas being affected much morestrongly as shown in FIG. 2, where the curve for the heavier gas C(Hg)is significantly steeper than that of the lighter gas C(I-I). Thenon-linear concentration of the heavier gas throughout the chamber 11causes a non-linear displacement of the lighter gas as shown in FIG. 3where the slope of the hydrogen contained in the mixture in chamber 1]is shown non-parallel to that contained in a pure state in chamber 12.

In FIG. 3 illustrating the contrast in slope between that of the lightergas in a pure state and that in the mixture, the partial pressure ofhydrogen gas in chamber 11 is represented by P( H and the partialpressure of the pure hydrogen in chamber 12 is represented by P(H Themembranes 21 and 22 serve to contain the heavier gas mercury in thechamber 11 while permitting free passage to the lighter gas hydrogen.The concentration of the lighter gas is therefore equal on both sides ofthe membranes as illustrated in FIG. 3. The two power turbines l3 and 14work from the two pressure differentials labeled A and B in FIG. 3. Thedirection of flow is indicated by the arrows of FIG. 1.

It is to be noted that other mixtures of vapors or liquid fluids may beemployed, with the primary requirement being that a mixture of fluidsshall be placed in the diffusion chamber 11, the molecules of themixture being of different masses from each other, and with the chamberwalls being fitted with membranes 21 and 22 which are permeable to themolecules of the lighter gas of the mixture and impermeable to theheavier gas.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of theinvention described herein, such modifications being within the spiritand scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all mattercontained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting inscope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for the generation of power based on the difference ofpartial pressures of a fluid mixture in a force field, where the fluidmixture consists of a mixture of two sets of molecules with themolecules of one set being acted upon by the force field in adiscriminatory fashion to the molecules of the other field, saidapparatus comprising a diffusion chamber in which the mixture ofmolecules is placed, with the said diffusion chamber being bounded ontwo opposing walls of the chamber by a membrane which is relativelypermeable to the molecules of the fluid of the mixture in the diffusionchamber which is least affected by the force field and impermeable tothe molecules of the fluid of the mixture in the difiusion chamber mostaffected by the force field, with said apparatus placed in a said forcefield with the opposing membrane walls of the diffusion chamber locatedin planes at right angles to the direction of the force field, with twoexternal chamber, each bounding an opposed membrane wall of thediffusion chamber, linked to- 3 gether by means of tubing which leadsthrough a fluid pressure-operated power generator and to a reservoirchamber containing molecules of the fluid in the mixture that ispermeable to the membrane, such that when the force field is applied tothe diffusion chamber, the partial pressure of the permeable fluid isgreater inside the diffusion chamber against one membrane wall then issaid partial pressure against the opposing membrane wall, with thepressure of the permeable fluid in the external chambers bounding themembrane being of a magnitude between said partial pressures.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the field is agravitational or centrifugal force field, with the molecules of onefluid being heavier than the molecules of the other fluid, and with themembrane relatively permeable to the molecules of the lighter fluid andrelatively impermeable to the molecules of the heavier fluid.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which the fluid mixturecomprises a mixture of hydrogen and mercury vapor molecules.

4. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the mixture consistsof an ionic solution of fluids in a liquid state, in an electric field.

1. Apparatus for the generation of power based on the difference ofpartial pressures of a fluid mixture in a force field, where the fluidmixture consists of a mixture of two sets of molecules with themolecules of one set being acted upon by the force field in adiscriminatory fashion to the molecules of the other field, saidapparatus comprising a diffusion chamber in which the mixture ofmolecules is placed, with the said diffusion chamber being bounded ontwo opposing walls of the chamber by a membrane which is relativelypermeable to the molecules of the fluid of the mixture in the diffusionchamber which is least affected by the force field and impermeable tothe molecules of the fluid of the mixture in the diffusion chamber mostaffected by the force field, with said apparatus placed in a said forcefield with the opposing membrane walls of the diffusion chamber locatedin planes at right angles to the direction of the force field, with twoexternal chamber, each bounding an opposed membrane wall of thediffusion chamber, linked together by means of tubing which leadsthrough a fluid pressure-operated power generator and to a reservoirchamber containing molecules of the fluid in the mixture that ispermeable to the membrane, such that when the force field is applied tothe diffusion chamber, the partial pressure of the permeable fluid isgreater inside the diffusion chamber against one membrane wall then issaid partial pressure against the opposing membrane wall, with Thepressure of the permeable fluid in the external chambers bounding themembrane being of a magnitude between said partial pressures.
 2. Thecombination as recited in claim 1 in which the field is a gravitationalor centrifugal force field, with the molecules of one fluid beingheavier than the molecules of the other fluid, and with the membranerelatively permeable to the molecules of the lighter fluid andrelatively impermeable to the molecules of the heavier fluid.
 3. Thecombination as recited in claim 2 in which the fluid mixture comprises amixture of hydrogen and mercury vapor molecules.
 4. The combination asrecited in claim 1 in which the mixture consists of an ionic solution offluids in a liquid state, in an electric field.